Reviews

Normal People by Sally Rooney

ashaturnerr's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

not sure I love this as much as everyone else seems to, but also did read through it very quickly so

also really hate when a book doesn’t use speech marks

bookstoregoblin's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

meaghanjohns's review

4.0

"It suggests to Connell that the same imagination he uses as a reader is necessary to understand real people also, and to be intimate with them."

4.5 stars. Beautifully written, and honest. Rooney did a wonderful job of capturing the nuances of love - the little gestures, the ways in which we make meaning out of every micromovement, the endless circling around each other.

reyreads's review

4.0

the thing about normal people is that it’s quiet and unassuming, yet it drags you into the orbit of Connell and Marianne. I cared so deeply about these characters, and that care propelled forward beautiful, heartbreaking writing into authenticity.

chloecraig's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

maddievoll's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I wanted to love this so bad. I did not like the writing style or the dynamic of the characters.  I did think there were some good quotes and messages though.

rowanntree's review

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

cintron's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

anawalt's review against another edition

4.0

The backbone of the story was there. It held promise. However, it fell flat in terms of understanding of emotional turmoil, abuse, and response to delicate situations. It also ended up being a story about a girl who somehow prompted others to treat her terribly to the point she craved it. “I looked at her and something about her made me want to hit her and it scared me.” Come on, really? That’s love? (Paraphrasing). The ideas cultivated and perpetuated in this book were alarming.

I also did not care for the style of writing. I had a hard time following who said she said he said, as well as what was actually said. What happened to quotation marks or not repeatedly saying “he said” before, during, and after every sentence? The story jumped mid-thought to other timeframes, as well, and I rarely knew when we were.

beatrizsilva's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5